Retail industry launches 10 million pound appeal to back workers impacted by Covid-19

RetailTrust and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have joined forces to launch a fundraising campaign, called ‘CaRe 20 – Caring for Retail during COVID-19’, which aims to raise 10 million pounds to support retail workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The appeal’s goal is to provide financial, emotional, physical, and vocational support for contractors and temporary staff, employees who have been left out of work, and others seeking financial support. Emotional support is also being offered to those still working who are under heightened stress due to the current situation.

CaRe20 will help fund a spate of initiatives including financial grants to assist with food, essential bills, childcare and other necessities; counseling for stress and anxiety over the phone or online; upskilling and retraining for those made redundant due to the pandemic or seeking a new role; and online self-help resources and tools via myrtwellbeing.org.uk.

Funds will also be available for workers in industries supporting retail, such as food distribution and pharmaceutical and medical supply sectors.

Appeal launched to support retail workers during pandemic

The government earlier this month said it would pay up to 80 percent of wages up to 2,500 pounds per month for UK workers who have lost their job due to the coronavirus, with “no limit” on how much money the government would make available for the scheme.

But RetailTrust - while acknowledging the decision as “excellent” - believes it “will not come close to solving the real problems.”

The organisation's chief executive Richard Boland said in a statement: “Covid-19 has created unprecedented challenges for society and the retail community. How we all care for each other will define how well the nation will come out of this in the future.

“We are experiencing unprecedented demand for our online services especially via myrtwellbeing.org.uk and we are ready with emergency funding to support all involved but the length and depth of the need for support will dwarf anything we have seen in the last one hundred years. We need your help.”

Photo credit: RetailTrust